Photoluminescent glass



Patented May 26, 1936 PATENT OFFICE.

PHOTOLUMINESCENT GLASS Waldemar Kaufmann, Lfidwig' Eckstein. and

Konrad Rosenber'ger, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, assignors to I. G. Farbenindustrie Aktiengesellschaft. Germany Frankfort on the Main,

No Drawing. Application July 16, 1935,,Serlal No. 31,742. In Germany July 21, 1934 BGIaims. (o1. loo-36.1)

The present invention relates to photo-luminescent glass.

We have found that glass having an intensive photo-luminescence is made as follows: Glass 0011'- taining ortho-phosphate or meta-phosphate to the extent that, at least 20 per cent. of the acid constituents of the glass consist of P205 and to which excitable metals such as tin and, if desired, manganese or zirconium have been added either separately or mixed with each other, is fused under neutral, oxidizing or reducing conditions. The reducing condition may be produced by the addition of a reducing agent, such as urea'or the like to the glass batch or by exposing the fused mass to a reducing flame. a

, This glass containing tin is distinguished by the fact thatv when excited by ultra violet radiation of short wave length, particularly by the resonance line of mercury, it gives a particularly high yield of visible light.

If the light flux sent out from a mercury low pressure discharge tube made of ordinary apparatus glass is 1.8, the following values are found,

for instance, for discharge tubes of the same construction and load made from meta-phosphate glass containing tin or copper or manganese In the above tablethe glassicontaining manr ganese and copper is compared with that containing tin, because the first-named glas is distinguished by a particularly intensive 1 during the radiation with the filter ultraviolet,

that is chiefly the radiation of about3860 Angstrom units. Thisglassaswellas theglassmixed with other oxides exciting luminescence yields a visible fluorescent light by the action of the radiation starting from a mercury low pressure discharge. The intensity of the fluorescent light amounts only to a fraction of the fluorescent light sent out from a glass containing tin. In some ewes, for instance in order to Obtain a certain degree of coloring of the flt light, other excitable metal oxides may be addedto the glass there are added ous cadmium either alone or mixed with mercury vapor. 1

The following examples serve to illustrate the invention, but they are not intended to limit it thereto, the parts being by weight, if not stated LI otherwise:

(1) To 10 kilograms of a glass batch of the following composition:

- Parts H3PO4 (specific gravity 1.75) 1000 BaCO: 175' "A120: 55

grams 0! tin dioxide and 300 15 grams of urea. As soon as the vitreous condition has been attained the fused mass is'poured out or treated. y

A mercury vapor tube the glass wall of which consistsof the transparent glass thus prepared which is plated or cased with a turbid glass preparedfrom the'same quantity of fundamentalglass with the addition of 200 grams of zirconium dioxide shows a particularly intensive bluishwhite luminescent radiation. The spectroscopic analysis of this light shows a continuous spectrum extending from red over the entire visible range far intothe long wave ultraviolet, for instance to 2900 Angstromunits. The light value is 11.2.

(2) Aglass prepared-from! 49 Parts KaCO: 550 cm 267 0: h1g0 (or 86 per cent. strength) 259 HaBO: ,31

B31904 (specific gravity 1.75) 1280 Urea 100 I. 'BnO: F 85. ZrO: l0

imam... aluminium orthorphoophate as the glass formingsubstance besides borlc acid yields 11.

. Grams BaCO; 350 I MgO 110 'Al(OH)a 215 HaPO4 (specific gravity 1.7) 2200 a bluish-white luminescence when being used as a case of a mercury vapor lamp.

(3) The following hard glass containing silica shows luminescence similar to that of the glass above described.

(4) A glass batch of the following composition:

is fused with 14 to 30 grams of SnO2. A luminous tube has, according to the table given above, (blue 1ight=l.8) the light value 5.7.

(5) A transparent glass fused according to Batch I is cased or plated with a turbid glass fused according to Batch II.

I Ii

30 grams of SnOz grams of smog 224 grams of A110:

2-24 grams of A1 0;

146 grams of K100: 146 grams of K 00; 36 grams of 02100; 35 grams of C8003 26 grams of BaCOa 26 grams of 133.00: 44 grams of MgO 44 grams oI MgO 284 grams of H3802 350 grams of HKPO'Q (specific gravity 1.7)

284 grains of HaBOa 380 grams of HJPOI (specific gravity 1.7)

The light value is 5.3.

(6) By fusing together Grams K2003 '92 KNO3 Z 134 02.00: 89 BaCOs, .32 MgO 84 HzBOa 310 AmmoniumJphQ sphate 487 SnOz v 40 there is obtained a turbid glass of the light value 7.1.

(7) The Batch I is plated or cased with the turbid glass transparent glass fused according to prepared according to Batch II. The light value is 7.1.

We claim: a

1. A'glass containing tin as a metal exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least 20 per cent. of P205, said glass being characterized by the fact that when excited I byultraviolet radiation of short wave length it gives a particularly high yield of visible light.

2. A glass containing tin as a metal exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least per cent. of P205 which glass has been melted under a reducing condition, said glass being characterized by the fact that when excited by ultra violet radiation of short wave length it gives a particularly high yield of visible light.

3. A glass containing tin and manganese as metals exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least 20 per cent. of P205, said glass being characterized by the fact that when excited by ultra violet radiation of short wave-length it gives a particularly high yield of visible light. g

4. A glass containing tin and manganese as metals exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least 20 per cent. of P205 which glass has been melted under a reducing condition, said glass being characterized by the fact that when excited by ultra violet radiation of, short wave length it gives a particularly high yield of visible light. 1 v

5. A glass containing tin and zirconium as metals exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least 20 per cent. of P205, said glass being characterized by the fact that when. excited by ultra violet radiation of short wave length it gives a particularly high yield of visible'light.

6. A glass containing tin and zirconium as meto als exciting luminescence and the acid components of which contain at least 20 per cent. of P205 which glass has been melted under a reducing condition, said glass being characterized by the fact that when excited by ultra violet radiation of short wave length it gives a particularly high yield of visible light.

WALDEMAR KAUFMANN. LTIDWIG ECKSTEIN.

KONRAD ROSENBERGER. so 

